Box Score
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Northwestern 13, UNLV 12 Wilson Stadium Las Vegas Box Score |
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LAS VEGAS - There was no shortage of offense Saturday afternoon in Sin City as the Northwestern Wildcats (5-14, 0-0 Big Ten) and UNLV Rebels combined to score 25 runs on 38 hits. Sophomore Matt Hopfner, who went 4-for-5 in the front end of Saturday's doubleheader, hit a home run and drove in four runs to lead NU as the Wildcats held on to win a 13-12 slugfest over UNLV.
Senior Kyle Ruchim, who went 4-for-6, joined Hopfner with four hits and added two RBI and a run for the `Cats. Junior Zach Jones tallied three RBI and a run on three hits, while classmate Antonio Freschet contributed three runs.
Freshman JR Reimer earned his first-career win in relief of junior Matt Portland, while Brayden Torres took the loss for UNLV. Joe Hoscheit tallied his first save of the year after pitching two scoreless innings, allowing just one hit. Offensively, the sophomore went 1-for-5 and added a run in the eighth inning.
Northwestern opened the scoring in the first inning after a leadoff single from Ruchim got the `Cats rolling. Jones was hit by a pitch before senior Scott Heelan singled up the middle and advanced to second on an error to send Ruchim home. Hopfner follow up with a single, crossing Heelan to give NU an early 2-0 lead.
The Rebels did not respond until the bottom of the second when they drove in a single run to jump on the board. The `Cats were able to post one run of their own in the top of the following frame before UNLV bursted in the bottom of the third. The Rebels took a 5-3 lead after a triple and a pair of singles sent four runners home.
In the top of the fourth, Northwestern picked up two more runs after back-to-back base hits from Ruchim and Jones to knot the score at five runs. The `Cats lead did not hold for long as UNLV answered with three runs of its own in the bottom of the stanza.
UNLV led 8-5 as the squads headed into the sixth inning. Both teams utilized RBI singles to add a run apiece in the frame.
The Wildcats were not done as their offense exploded in the seventh. Senior Reid Hunter opened the inning with a base hit to right field to set up Hopfner at the plate. The sophomore cranked a laser to deep left field to send both Wildcats home. Peikert followed up with an RBI single before Jones crossed Freschet with a double to left field as Northwestern regained the lead, 10-9.
The Rebels had another powerful inning in the bottom of the seventh, adding three runs to their score column, but it was not enough for the win. In the top of the eighth, Hoscheit scored after Hopfner sent a double down the right-field line. Northwestern added one more run off a Peikert RBI single before Ruchim drove in the game-winning run.
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